Whiffletree



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM E. JACOBS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

WHIFFLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,208, dated March 25, 1890. Application filed January 20, 1890. Serial No. 337,470. (No model) To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. JACOBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at O- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vhiffletrees; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap'pertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a whiffietree comprising a stout bar, preferably wood, and

- which is capable of yielding between its ends to a limited extent, a truss-rod having drafthook and abutment eyes and serving for sustaining the said bar, said rod being securely fastened to theends of the bar, apulling connection in form of a bridge-loop (or plates) provided with a limitation stop-block for the truss-rod to bear against when the load is being moved, the truss-rod passing behind said block, so as to be out of contact with the limitation-stop when the strain is not upon the whiffletree, and a suitable means of attachment-for instance, a clevis or the like-between the whiffietree and the carriage, wagon, plow, or ditching-machine, or between the Whiffletr'ees and evener bars of reapers, mowers, or other agricultural implements drawn by animals.

By my invention the whiffietree can to a limited extent spring or bend into a bowed or curved form between its ends, and thus yield and relieve the shoulders of draft animals and the harness from that sudden injurious strain experienced on startinga team to pull a heavy load, and While this is so the whit'fletree during the time that the load is being moved and offering its resistance to the team ceases to yield or remains comparatively rigid, and the team has direct control of the load and can move the same along steadily.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of my improved whiffletree with a portion of the bridgedoop broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the sanie. Fig. 3 is an illustration of the invention as applied to an evcner device of a reaper, mower, or other agricultural implement; and Fig. 4: is a vertical cross-sectiou of the same.

A in the drawings, Figs'l and 2, represents capable of yielding and bending in a bowed or curved form between its ends, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thus act as a spring at the time when a team with a load is being started. To the end of the bar A an angular or bowed truss-rod B, having draft-hook eyes I), is fastened rigidly by means of ferrules c or other suitable means, as shown. The middle portion of this rod is coupled to the bar A of the whiffletree A by means of a strong connection in form of a bridge'loop C, which is passed around the bar A and extended back with plate portions a proper distance, said plate portions being united some distance from their termini upon a strong solid limitation stop block or piece d and bolted firmly together, as shown. The middle-or bowed portion of the truss-rod lies behind the stop block or piece d-between the plate portions of the bridge-loop, and in its normal position stands some distance away from the same, as illustrated. in full black lines in Figs. 1 and 2. Vertically through the bridge-loop connection 0 is provided a large hole f, and for convenience of applying the whiliietree to an evener-bar E, as in Figs. 3 and 4, a smaller hole f may be provided, one of said holes being in advance of the other. Through the large hole f a clevis-hook D is passed, and through the eyes at the ends of the branches of this hook a pivot pin or bolt f is passed for the purpose of connecting the whiflietree to a carriage, wagon, plow, or a ditching-machine or the like. \Vhen the whiffletree is attached to an evener-bar E, as in Figs. 3 and 4, the clevis-hook may be substituted by a strap-loop g, having extended fiat portions with holes through them, and the said loop be passed around the evenerbar E and bolted thereto, as indicated at g, and a bolt 9 may be passed down through the holes in the extended fiat portions, and also through the small hole f of the bridgeloop, as indicated in said Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. It will be seen that as there is suificient space between the truss-rod B and the stop block or piece d of the bridge-loop connection 0 the wooden bar A is free to yield and bend into a curved form when the shall have control ora firm hold on the load strain of the load comes upon it at the starting of the team, and will thus continue to bend until the loadhas fully started, at which moment the further bending of the bar will bearrested by the truss-rod being drawn in contact with the limitation stopblock or piece (I, and thus the bar A and truss-rod B will become so united that said rod will render the whiffletree practically stiif or unyielding, and thereupon the team will draw the load solidly and steadily without the inconvenience which results from having the whiffietree operate at all times with a spring action.

From experience with different kinds of whifiietrees it has been found that there should be a little elasticity in the same when the teamstarts to pull, so as not to jar the shoulders of the animals and strain the harness, but after starting the load there should be littleor no spring action, so that the team and move it along steadily.

The bridge-loop may be substituted by two plates bolted to the top and bottom of the whiffletree-bar A" and provided with the lirnitation stop block or piece d and the holcsf f, as shown; but I prefer the bridge-loop, as hereinbefore described. The clevis straploop might also be substituted by two plates" bolted to the top and bottom of the evener-j bar; but I prefer the strap-loop hereinbefore described.

The whiffletree truss-rod formed with draft hooks or eyes at its ends is very useful, whether the whiflletree be made capable of 'yieldin g or not, and therefore this feature ot' my invention is not confined to a spring whiffletreer WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a whiffletree, in combination, a yielding bar, a bridge-connection, a stop, and a truss-rod having its ends fastened to the ends of said bar andbent or bowed so as to throw its middle portion out of contact normally with the stop, the construction and combination being such that when a team starts and the load strains the whiflietree the bar is free to yield between its ends without resistance from the truss-rod and to continue to do so until the load is properly started or the midtion, having large clevis-holes and small pinholes through it, with the truss-rod B and the I yielding bar A, attached by its end to the truss-rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM JACOBS. Witnesses:

W. L. CURRY, J. C. RICHARDS. 

